The birthplace of Canada’s petrochemical industry, dating back to the 1850s, the Sarnia-Lambton area represents the country’s second largest collection of companies in the petrochemical and refining sector. Paired with Ontario’s most abundant supply of agricultural feedstocks, Sarnia-Lambton has become Canada’s premier location for the development of and investment in clean, green, and sustainable chemistry technologies.
The Sarnia-Lambton Hybrid Chemistry Cluster is made up of more than thirty-five interrelated chemical facilities with processes ranging across the hybrid chemistry value chain, integrating the traditional hydrocarbon-based economy with the industrial bio-economy for the production of high-value products. Through an investment focus connecting emerging economic development opportunities for products made from renewable resources – biofuels, bio-materials, and renewable chemicals – with existing industry and infrastructure, the area is recognized around the world as a centre for bio-industrial manufacturing and research and development.
Fostered by key local and regional partnerships including industry, colleges, research parks, and government, the transformation and diversification of the local economy to support clean and green chemistry opportunities, has resulted in the Sarnia-Lambton Hybrid Chemistry Cluster–a cluster that allows bio-based industry to increase productivity and operational efficiency, stimulate and enable innovation, and facilitate commercialization and new business formation.
Learn About Some of the Companies in the Sarnia-Lambton Hybrid Chemistry Cluster
- A culture of collaborative innovation based on recognition of the area’s natural fit for merging hydrocarbon-based and industrial bio-based economies.
- Established process infrastructure ideally suited to emerging bio-based industries, can save new projects twenty percent on capital costs. This is supported by an industrial base of more than 80
local firms with expertise from plant concept, construction, full operation, and maintenance. - Outstanding access to markets via road, rail, and deep sea port transportation infrastructure.
- Proximity to oil, natural gas, and bio-based feedstocks. These include substantial quantities of soybeans, wheat, corn, agricultural residues, sugar beets, and related biomass.
- Strong government support including a competitive corporate tax environment, incentives, and grants.
- Skilled workforce specializing in skills required for the hybrid chemistry industry.
- Education, innovation, and research & development emphasize the commercialization hub process.
A full selection of materials on the Sarnia-Lambton Hybrid Chemistry Cluster can be found by clicking the images below.
The Sarnia-Lambton BDO Zone is ‘A’, or “high quality”, based on reliable generation of biomass, lack of large-scale competition for feedstock, and access to larger supply basins at marginal transportation cost increases. The Sarnia-Lambton BDO Zone extends 140km drive-distance from Sarnia, and is rated for 190,000 oven-dried metric tons per year of corn stover.
The Sarnia-Lambton BDO Zone has achieved a significant milestone by receiving the first BDO rating for corn stover biomass; it is also the first rating in the province of Ontario. The ‘A’ rating highlights the importance of the Sarnia-Lambton BDO Zone and paves the way for future advancements and growth in utilizing corn stover for decarbonization, farm stability and job creation in the province.
In addition to corn stover, there are significant volumes of wheat straw biomass in Sarnia-Lambton, creating additional feedstock opportunities for sustainable chemistry technologies and investments.
To see the full BDO Zone Rating for Sarnia-Lambton please click here, or visit www.bdozone.org.